section 3-2

Notes on section 3-2:
Maddy McKenney
Hiduism and Buhdism develop

Bold Words:
reincarnation- an individual soul or spirit that is born again and again until moksha is achieved.
karma- good or bad deeds- follows from one reincarnation to another. Bases on health, rich or poor, etc.
Jainism- Creator was Mahvaria. Monks believed in non violence or any harm. Most Jains live in India today.
Nirvana- The Buddha's word for release from selfishness and pain.


Key People

• Mahvaria - was the creator of Jainism and lived 599 B.C. - 527 B.C. He believed in the universe has a soul and so should not be harmed.
• Siddhartha Gautama- was born into a noble family. He exhibited the marks of a great man. If he stayed at home he would become a ruler, if he left home he'd become a universal spiritual leader. Therefor his dad kept him locked inside the palace to become a great king.

Key Events:
Hinduism Evolves over centuries:

• Hinduism is a collection of religious beliefs that developed slowly over a period of time. Hinduism has many ideas.

-Origins and Beliefs-

• Hindus see religion as, "a way of liberating the soul from the illusions, disappointments, and mistakes of everyday existence." The teachers comments of Vedic Hymns were known as Upanishads.
• moksha- a state of perfect understanding of all things and the difference between atman and Brahman

atman- the indivisual soul of a human being
Brahman- the world soul that contains and unites all atmans

• In order to reach moksha you have to be reincarnated until you have perfect understanding- karma will determine how you live.

-Hinduism changes and develops-

• The world soul of Braham changed and lost its importance while the many forms of Devi, the great mother goddess took over.
• Hindus today can choose which deity to take and the way to moksha. Three ways are: path of right thinking, path of right action, or path of religious devotion.

-Hinduism and society-

• In present life only men could earn moksha if they were apart of the top three varnas. Child of laborer would have been known to done bad deeds in earlier life.
• The beliefs of hinduism and caste structure controlled someone's life.

- New religions arise-

• Jainism and Buddhism started.

The Budsha seeks Enlightenment:

• Siddhartha Gautama- the creator of Buddhism.

-Siddharthas Quest-

• When he was 29 he ventured outside of the palace and saw a man, an old man, a dead corpse, and wandering holy man who seemed at peace with himself. He decided to to search for religious truth and an end to life's suffering. He searched for enlightenment for 6 years and then one day sat under a fig tree and meditated for 49 days and understood the reason for suffering in this world. He was known as the Buddha, "the enlightened one."

-Origins and beliefs-

• Four Noble truths:

1. Life is filled with suffering and sorrow
2. The cause of all suffering is people's selfish desire for the temporary pleasures of this world
3. The way to end all suffering is to end all desires
4. To overcome desires you must go through the middle way which is between desires and self- denial

• if follow the noble truths then you could reach nirvana
• Buddha accepted reincarnation and where the world is created and destroyed over and over again. Did not believe in many gods but in enlightenment. He rejected the caste system.

- The religious community-

• The Jewels of Buddhism: sangha (entire religious community) and dharma (Buddhist doctrine and teachings.)

-Buddhism and Society-

• Women were admitted to religious orders. Buddha feared a women's presence would distract men from their religious duties.
• Monks and Nuns took vows to a life of poverty, non violent and not to marry. They went through towns and taught teachings. Missionaries got daily charity money. When seasonal rains came people fled to caves.
• Buddhas literature includes commentaries, rules on monastic life, manuals on how to meditate, story's of Buddhas previous reincarnations. (jatakas)

-Buddhism in India-

• Missionaries spread the religion. Although in India Hinduism and Buddhism evolved together and eventually the Buddha became one of the 10 incarnations of the god Vinshnu.
• Buddhist 3 actions in worship: birthplace of buddha in Kapilavatsu, the fig tree near Gaya, his first sermon near Varanasi, and the stupas that contain his relies.

-Trade and the spread of Buddhism-

• Traders helped to spread the religion of Buddhism because they spread the idea through west asia while on the silk route.